


roles

by choshin (brynstar)



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-24 15:01:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17102798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brynstar/pseuds/choshin
Summary: At a young age, Corrin comes to the realization of the roles Felicia and Flora are forced to play in her life.





	roles

**Author's Note:**

> this is a mirror of a fic i posted on tumblr, but with the recent purge and my activity on that site halting, i felt it best to mirror it onto ao3, as i'm rather proud of it.

At age eight, she first learns of the roles Felicia and Flora provide for her. Her mouth twists into a frown. Garon calls them her “servants”. People under her, made to bade and follow through on every command she makes.

She hates it. Despises it in every little way she can. She calls them into her room, and speaks with them, her childish voice carrying a weight of seriousness that Flora takes some time processing, her icy-blue brows furrowing as she listens to her liege. She tells them she refuses to let them serve her if she cannot help them in kind.

“You’re people too, just like I am. I don’t want to view you as lesser individuals, as…” Her breath hitches in her throat, her small hands balling into fists, nails digging into her palm, “as  _servants_. You’re my friends.”

Felicia begins to smile, even though worry is creeping its way into her heart. She’s flattered to be called such a thing, but she fears what might happen to the three of them if Garon spots Corrin doing the work they’re meant to do. She begins to object, telling Corrin that she doesn’t wish for her to get in trouble with her father, but Corrin shakes her head, her unbrushed blonde hair moving around furiously.

“I don’t care about that. I want you all to be equals with me, no matter what.” They decide it’s best not to fight her. Corrin is headstrong at the best of times, and stubborn at the worst.

She first begins working with Flora. She learns how to prepare meals and clean dishes as the two of them chatter back and forth about little things. Corrin asks about what Flora’s home is like, only to be met with silence. Instead, she puts down the plate she was cleaning and hesitates, her mind wandering to visions of icy fields, of her and her sister throwing snow at each other in a bygone age. “Home is with you, Corrin. That’s where I’m the happiest.” It’s a cold lie, even if she does care for Corrin. She reminds herself that it’s better to lie than to receive an axe to the throat. Her life is built on the back of lies, as it is. Nothing much changes in that regard. She wishes, nay, she  _prays_ , she could be her genuine self around Corrin. She wishes she could smile, that she could stop constantly being a maid, but all she can do is serve. Her home, her family, depends on it. So she fakes a smile, fakes the joy in her voice when she’s able, but otherwise is as cold and as distant as her home feels right now. They finish the dishes, Corrin giving Flora a quick hug of thanks, and for a second she feels herself melt. Her cold exterior drops away a bit, and she allows herself to smile, just this once. Despite carrying the burdens of her and her sister, despite this hatred that wraps itself around her heart like a thorny vine, she lets this happiness creep into her being. It reminds her of her youth, of better times. And in a moment of happiness, she decides to help teach Corrin how to take care of her hair, and how to braid it. Between reading lessons from Gunter and sparring lessons with Xander, she teaches Corrin how to braid and how to sew, allowing the youngest princess a way to pass the time.

Felicia takes Corrin under her wing next. While only being a year older than Corrin, and four years the junior of Flora, she still carries herself with some level of pride for her age, even if that slips up as much as her own two feet do. She was told by Flora at a young age that this is what she must do to please the Nohrians. She didn’t question it, as the fear that lurked in her own being wouldn’t allow for any inkling of doubt. The bond the two of them shared allowed her for some breathing room, however, a respite in this still unfamiliar world. For three years she lived in Nohr, stolen from her home with nary a word from her father besides “I love you”. The memory still tears at her a bit, but she carries on with a smile. She tries not to blame Corrin for her circumstances. The girl didn’t choose them to serve under her, and her actions show that she views them as more than just humble underlings. It’s a small help in an otherwise arduous struggle, but she has Flora to depend on when the going gets too tough. She focuses back on the present moment rather than the past, and good timing, as a fine white plate drops to the floor, shattering into multiple small pieces. She immediately begins attempting to pick it up, but Corrin beats her to it, accidentally cutting her finger in the process. Greenish blood drips out, an abnormal sight for others, but after knowing Corrin for these years, she knows she carries the blood of the First Dragon. She just wished it wasn’t spilled over something so menial, so useless, as a plate. Her fingers were callused after dropping and breaking so many plates, so a bit of shattered porcelain wouldn’t be the end of her. Once the draconic ichor is tidied up and Corrin’s finger is bandaged, the two of them laugh it off, and Felicia feels a new type of warmth creep into her heart.

This continues until Garon finds out. Flora and Felicia are marched to the throne room with little Corrin following behind until he barks that they are to forfeit their lives for failing in their duties. A scream of rejection comes from Corrin as she moves to protect her friends, the people she’s grown to love, with her own life.

“Father, please spare them! I asked them to help me learn these things. I don’t wish for them to be treated as lesser individuals - they’re my friends, not just… not just some servants for you to boss around!” Her hands are shaking, tears welling up in her eyes as she speaks up, her voice stern and commanding, almost echoing her father.

“I wish for them to be my retainers. Not my maids, not my servants, but my protectors, my  _allies_. And I  _won’t_  take no for an answer. If you wish to kill anyone, kill me instead.” The king hesitates, his hand wrapped around his axe, but it loosens, a twisted smile creeping onto his face.

“Very well. This is a decision you cannot go back on, however. You’ve now made these two responsible for your very life.” He looks at Flora and Felicia, his gaze cold and uncaring. “Are you ready to carry such a burden?” Despite the hesitation in her heart, despite the  _hatred_  for the kingdom that burns within her, Flora is the first one to speak up, her resolve strong. Nohr is a horrible place, but she will protect the light in that kingdom, she will protect  _Corrin_ , with her very life, if necessary.

“Yes, your Highness. I know I won’t fail you.” Felicia glances over at her sister, and then looks to her own hands. They’re shaking. Her breath is clammy, and she’s sweating, and as she speaks, her voice quivers before she steels herself.

“I’m ready too. To protect Corrin, I mean, with my own life, your Highness.” Garon simply nods, waving them out of the throne room. The three of them don’t speak, but Corrin grabs their hands with her own, giving the two of them warm, loving smiles.

She has people she knows will protect her, and people she’ll protect in kind.

She has someone who melted her heart, just a little, someone she let inside of it.

She has someone who makes her feel stronger.

The three of them forged a bond that will be unmatched by any others, come what may. And for once, all three of them felt a little less alone in the world.


End file.
